Couple wanted in double Stoney Creek shooting in hiding
Two months into the manhunt for a young couple wanted in a double shooting behind a Stoney Creek business, Hamilton police believe the duo continue to hide somewhere in Eastern Europe.
It's alleged 28-year-old Oliver Karafa and 25-year-old Yun (Lucy) Lu Li fled together less than 24 hours after the Feb. 28 shooting behind 347 Arvin Ave. A 26-year-old woman was seriously hurt and 39-year-old Tyler Pratt was killed.
It is believed that they remain in hiding in Eastern Europe and are actively evading authorities," Det. Sgt. Jim Callender, of the major crime unit, said in an emailed statement.
Police warn anyone helping them can face criminal charges.
The young Toronto couple fled before police secured arrest warrants. Police have not specified where they went, but Karafa has ties to Slovakia, where he was born, and Czech Republic, where he did business.
The Spectator has confirmed he was a part-owner in a medical supply business based in Prague, Czech Republic. Records show that four days after the murder, Karafa's part-ownership in the company was dissolved and the business name changed. This transfer happened the same day Hamilton police announced that Li and Karafa were wanted for first-degree murder and attempted murder.
Karafa's former business partner declined to speak to The Spectator, but said he found out about the murder several days after the business transfer. He said he had not been in touch with Karafa since March 3.
Karafa and his family immigrated to Canada in 2001, first settling in Windsor and then Toronto, according to parole board documents. In 2014, he was sentenced to just under five years in prison for impaired driving causing death and criminal negligence causing death in a drunk driving crash in Toronto that killed his friend and trainer David Chiang. By the time Karafa was released on full parole in August 2017, his parents were back in Slovakia.
Li is a triplet and her mother is a prominent Chinese-Canadian businessperson. After the murder her family released a statement to Chinese-language media offering condolences to the victims and calling on Li to co-operate with authorities.
It remains unclear why Li, Karafa, Pratt and the unnamed victim met that day. It had nothing to do with the particular business where the shooting happened.
Both Karafa and Pratt were involved in several businesses and Callender has previously said the pair had been in contact for about a year, including while the victim lived in British Columbia. Pratt had come to Ontario not long before his murder, looking to move to the Greater Toronto Area. An aspiring entrepreneur, he was looking to establish businesses in the area.
On the evening of the shooting - a Sunday - the business where they met was closed and deserted. After being shot the 26-year-old victim managed to walk from the rear of the building to the front, where she flagged down passing witnesses who called for help. She survived, but Pratt was found dead behind the main building.
The vehicles of both the victims and the accused were driven away from the scene after the shooting. A white Land Rover, seen fleeing the scene, was later recovered in the GTA. Another car was found somewhere in Hamilton, not at the crime scene.
Anyone with information is asked to call their local police agency or Hamilton police Det. David Tsuchida at 905-546-4123. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppershamilton.com.
Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com